


The Competition

by dirtydeedsdonedirtcheap



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: HPFT, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 09:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7752580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirtydeedsdonedirtcheap/pseuds/dirtydeedsdonedirtcheap
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Narcissa and Lucius fight over Draco's first word.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Competition

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling. Everything you don’t recognize belongs to me.

** The Competition **

According to parenting magazines, depending on the child, a baby can say his or her first word between eleven and fourteen months old. The word that’s most commonly said first is ‘Dad’ or ‘Mum.’

 

Draco Malfoy, the pride and joy of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy was reaching his fifteenth month and had yet to utter one word. Narcissa didn’t care what she had to do but come hell or high water Draco Lucius Malfoy would say his first word before the day was over.

 

And it _definitely_ wouldn’t be Dad.

 

“Narcissa, will you stop muttering under your breath? It’s really unbecoming of a—“

 

Narcissa rolled her eyes at her husband, quickly shutting him up. He wouldn’t admit it but he was petrified of her ever since she gave birth to his child. He’d do anything to keep her happy and was afraid she would suddenly decide that he was an unfit partner and unworthy to continue being her husband and the father of their child.

 

He was certain she would wake up one day and leave him.

 

His fear stemmed from the fact that she secretly poked him at night and whispered ‘Your wife is going to leave you, you ungrateful human being.’ It was all in good fun really.

 

“Not to alarm you _sweetheart_ ,” she said sarcastically, batting her eyelashes, “but _your_ son is slow. I’m not surprised considering _your_ family…”

 

Lucius pouted as if he was the child and not Draco, who was slobbering on the marble floor next to his mother, playing with a golden toy snitch.

 

“Very funny—my son, no, _our_ son isn’t slow Cissa. He’ll talk when he talks, you need to be patient,” he said, giving her a sharp look.

 

She scowled in response and paused, thinking about her actions. She really needed to stop doing that. She was getting more wrinkles everyday thanks to her bloody husband. Soon she’d be the one waking up every morning wondering if he was going to leave an old hag like her.

 

“Draco, say…mum. Mum. Mum. Mum. _Mum-my_!” she said with a slight grin, tickling her tiny son.

 

Draco looked at her, blonde hair covered with syrup and his entire front wet with saliva. It was common for Narcissa to lose track of her son. He was just so unnaturally quiet. He usually reappeared with food on his face or dirt on his clothing.

 

Naturally, she blamed Lucius whenever she found her son covered in a sticky substance.

 

“Lucius! Your son looks like a dirty house elf. I _just_ gave him a bath an hour ago. What is my mother going to think when she sees him? Or Severus? Do you think there’s a potion he can give Draco that’ll make him say his first word?” She questioned, running a hand through her long blonde hair.

 

Lucius turned to examine her. She too was covered in some syrupy substance, a dirty towel rested on her shoulder and she was wearing a pair of his old trousers and dirty t-shirt.

 

He was wondering if this was how Narcissa was going to greet their guests—her parents and his best mate. He knew better than to argue with her especially when she was in baby-talking mode.

 

“Don’t even think about it Narcissa! Come on Draco, let’s get you cleaned up before Mummy goes mad,” he whispered, reaching over to grab his son’s filthy chocolate covered hand.

 

She watched as the two slowly walked up the winding staircase towards the bathroom and bit her lower lip in thought. If Lucius was going to leave her all alone with these silly thoughts in her head…well, it was his own fault really.

 

She was a Black.

 

No, she was a Black and a Malfoy.

 

_And_ a mother.

 

That was one terrible combination.

 

-x-

 

Lucius gripped his fussy son by the blonde strands of his hair and gave him a stern look as Draco tried to push his father from cleaning him. His face scrunched up angrily and quickly turned red—a color and expression Lucius knew too well. Draco Malfoy was about to start screaming bloody murder in about two seconds.

 

Lucius sighed, relaxed his grip on his son and leaned back from the white tub in thought. Draco relaxed too, gripping a yellow squeaky duck that was floating by him and giggled as it quacked in his face.

 

“Never get married son because marriage leads to children and children turn your wonderful wife into a screaming fire breathing banshee.” He mumbled, cleaning the dirt behind Draco’s ear gently.

 

The boy didn’t say anything, instead he dropped his duck in the water and grabbed the toy dragon that was by him and squeezed it in his father’s face, water squirting in his eye.

 

“Bloo-Merlin!” Lucius shouted, annoyed. “At least you understand where I’m coming from,” he muttered, rubbing his now red eye.

 

“Wait!” Lucius shouted, realization dawning on him. “You understand where I’m coming from. Draco, can you say Dada? Dad? Daddy? Father?” he questioned his son happily.

 

The boy stared into his father’s eyes—grey meeting grey—and nodded his head apprehensively. Taking this as a ‘yes’ he picked up his son, forgetting that he was dripping wet from the water and hugged him tightly to his chest.

 

“Say it, Draco! Come on, I won’t tell your Mum. Say Dada!” he whispered excitedly in his ear.

 

Draco stared into his father’s eyes, pursed his lips together and then a shrill scream made him stop and his father’s robes tightly. Lucius jumped in shock.

 

“Lucius Malfoy, I heard everything you said! You’re supposed to be cleaning our son not making an even bigger mess! Where’s that bloody house elf—“ Narcissa shouted, grabbing her son from her husband.

 

Neither said anything or reacted in any way, both wondering if they didn’t move one muscle maybe she would just go away. But Narcissa didn’t, she glared at her husband, her cheeks red with anger and gently dropped her squirming son back into the tub.

 

“Don’t think you’re off the hook so easily Lucius!” she shouted, her back turned away from him.

 

He was inching backwards towards the door slowly, trying to make his escape.

 

“He won’t be saying Dada anytime soon! Mum will be his first word—even if I have to force it out of him myself!” she shouted, scrubbing her sons face roughly with a soapy rag.

 

Lucius didn’t say anything as he reached the safety of the corridor but he wondered to himself why Narcissa’s hands were covered in ink.

 

-x-

 

Only two hours later the fight between the couple was forgotten as the two tried to desperately get ready for the guests that were soon to arrive. The Black family visits always filled the three Malfoy’s with a sense of dread. The last time they had come to visit they ended up insulting Lucius down to the size of his pores and commenting on just how bad of a mother Narcissa was turning out to be.

 

Lucius tugged at his black shirt lightly and then leaned over to wipe some drool on his sons face. They had changed him for the third time within the past hour, even magic couldn’t help them out once Draco got dirty.

 

He sat on the floor grinning happily as he played with his toys and his parents, both tense at the coming situation, sat side by side ignoring each other.

 

“Do you know who I am, Draco? I’m your Mum. Say it with me, Mum,” Narcissa said, smiling at her son.

 

He stared back at her with a petrified expression etched on his small face.

 

Lucius snorted, waving his hands in front of Draco’s face to get his attention.

 

“I’m your Father. I’m your Dad, say Dad or Dada. Dada.”

 

Again the boy stared at his father with a petrified expression that deepened on his face. Both parents stared at their son with a quizzical look.

 

“What a lovely display of idiocy.” A voice said, making the two of them jump.

 

They both turned quickly to face their first visitor, missing the smile that quickly appeared on Draco’s face and his small hands waving towards his godfather happily.

 

“Severus! You’re here early—“ Lucius began with a grumble.

 

Quickly, his wife cut him off giving Severus a nervous look. “Oh, wonderful! I’ll get you a drink Severus, where is that bloody house elf! Don’t have any conversations while I’m gone!” she shouted, quickly jumping from her seat and rushing towards the kitchens.

 

Lucius arched his eyebrow in confusion and gave Severus a look.

 

“Never get married Severus.”

 

“I don’t plan on it,” he muttered darkly. “I got your letter this morning. I figured I should respond to you in person since I was on my way here.”

 

“Letter?” Lucius asked, confused.

 

“Yes, the one where you said how petrified you are of Draco being slower than every other child and how Narcissa is the best thing that has ever happened to you so you’re wondering if there’s a potion that’ll make your son speak because you worry that—“

 

“I said no such thing! Narcissa!” he yelled, turning quickly towards his shrieking wife who just reentered the room.

 

“I said no talking!” she shouted, glaring at Severus angrily, nearly dropping the glasses she was holding in her hands.

 

“You sent Severus a letter—“

 

“Oh look, now I’ve started a lover’s quarrel, silly me—“ Severus muttered, running a hand through his black hair.

 

“I was just wondering if he could look at him, maybe there’s a potion that’ll—“ Narcissa said, trying to plead with Lucius.

 

“He’s not a Healer! He’s a potions Professor!” Lucius shouted while angrily stomping his foot.

 

“And yet I still deal with brats on a day to day—“ Severus said, butting into the conversation.

 

He would have continued if the quarreling couple hadn’t rudely interrupted him again.

 

“I think you’re the one that needs to be examined,” Lucius said hotly.

 

“Not that this conversation isn’t stimulating but I came early for a purpose. Naturally, I don’t want to intrude,” Severus said in a mocking tone.

 

The potions professor didn’t flinch as the two turned and glared at him. Draco whimpered on the floor forgotten.

 

“Naturally,” Lucius scoffed with amusement.

 

“So, if my services are not needed I’ll be off.”

 

“No! Your services are needed! Please, Severus! Lucius, think of the child!” Narcissa said, scrambling to her knees to beg her husband.

 

Lucius sighed, shaking his head in defeat. It wasn’t often that Narcissa begged him for something, normally she was yelling at the top of her lungs at him.

 

“You’re mad that’s what you are and I’m going to remember this if you run off with my son to France for some Frenchman,” he said finally.

 

Severus stopped himself before he rolled his eyes and instead put his hand out to his godson to grab who was squirming on the ground, face red with anger.

 

“Marvelous, Draco come on. I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want to have conversations with them either,” he whispered, leading the boy out of the room.

 

-x-

 

Severus Snape stared at his godson with a calm expression on his face. The boy stared back at his Godfather trying to figure out if he was indeed going to be cold to him the entire time they were in the room together or if he would finally pick him up and play with him.

 

Severus poked the boys’ stomach gently and watched as he gleefully smiled, a pain filling his heart. He was thinking of another child, a child with green eyes that he rarely let cross his mind.

 

He wondered if he was talking. If that awful woman was actually caring for the boy and coddling him just like Narcissa did to her son and Lucius (who was a closeted softie).

 

“Why won’t you talk?” Severus questioned the child lightly.

 

He saved his anger and resentment for children that reached eleven.

 

“Are you not ready?”

 

Draco stayed silent. Instead of responding he pursed his lips tightly together and smacked his hands on his mouth as if to say ‘I refuse to talk!’ This highly amused Severus.

 

“Personally I don’t want you to talk either. It’s painfully obvious what type of child you’re going to be…” he said, letting his sentence hang in the air.

 

Draco folded his arms across his chest, giving his godfather an annoyed look.

 

“No need to get angry with me Draco. Now, repeat after me…”

 

-x-

 

“Dada!” Lucius shouted, shaking his finger angrily at his wife.

 

In return, Narcissa, blue eyes fueled with fire, shouted, “Mummy!”

 

“Silence!” Severus commanded as he entered the room, making the two jump.

 

They turned to face him, feeble expressions on their faces.

 

“Oh, Severus, I hope he wasn’t too much trouble. Did you get him to speak? What did he say?” Narcissa questioned, quickly walking towards him to grab her silent son.

 

“If it wasn’t Dada he better keep his mouth shut,” Lucius muttered, glaring at his wife.

 

“Oh, Lucius, you’re scaring my son—“

 

“Oh, now he’s your son but when he’s a syrupy mess—“

 

“Hush now, did you say Mum? Can you say Mum for me? Why isn’t he talking?” she asked, shaking her son lightly and opening his mouth to see if perhaps he was missing a tongue or some vital organ.

 

“The boy can talk perfectly fine. We had a marvelous debate on whether his parents are sane or not. You’d be surprised at the conclusion he came up with,” Severus said, taking a seat.

 

He was terribly bored with the conversation and was itching to leave.

 

“Oh, you awful rude man! I don’t know why you chose him as godfather! Even Dumbledore would have been a better choice.”

 

“I’m standing right here,” Severus muttered darkly.

 

“Don’t take it to heart Severus. Narcissa likes to think everyone has a hearing impairment,” Lucius whispered to his friend.

 

“I do not!” she shrieked, turning a light shade of pink.

 

“He can talk. He’s fully capable of talking. His first word will surprise all. He might be forming complete sentences by tomorrow. I think you gave birth to the next Minister of Magic!”

 

“Minister of Magic? Did you hear that Draco? Mummy is _so_ proud. Say Mum…” Narcissa said, beaming with pride.

 

“Your humor is unbecoming of a grown-man…no Draco, say Dada. Say Dada,” Lucius said, pinching his son’s nose.

 

Severus groaned, sliding in his chair.

 

“Enough of this foolishness. I want Mummy’s big boy to say his first word in front of everyone.”

 

“What exactly is his first word, Severus?” Lucius questioned, arching his eyebrow at him.

 

“Well—“ Severus started nervously.

 

“Oh no you don’t, Severus Snape! No more talking until my parents get here. I want us all to savor the moment together.”

 

“Because Druella Black loves to savor things…” Lucius muttered darkly.

 

“Talking about me Lucius?” A voice asked from the other end of the room.

 

The four jumped, nervously eyeing Druella Black who was accompanied by her husband, Cygnus.

 

Narcissa coughed as she smoothed her skirt and walked towards her family to quickly give the two—who were wearing black and glaring at Lucius darkly—a quick hug.

 

“Oh Mother, Father! Draco is speaking all the time and he shows magical ability as well. Draco, say your first word for your grandparents, don’t be shy,” Narcissa said turning away from her family and eyeing her son.

 

He stared at his Mum with a look of fear as his tiny heart started to beat in his chest at a much quicker pace than it normally did.

 

“Actually Narcissa, I don’t think that’s a good idea—“ Severus started, trying to desperately change the subject.

 

He nervously rose from his chair and took three steps away from his godson who tried to teeter towards him on his chubby legs.

 

“Hush, Severus! For someone so quiet you never shut-up,” Narcissa muttered, glaring at him.

 

She smiled at Draco, urging him once again to say his first word. Nervously he glanced at his grandparents who were shaking their heads, unamused by what they were seeing.

 

“Us..” he whispered.

 

“Did you hear that! Did you hear that? Did everyone hear that? I’m sure he said Mum, didn’t it sound like Mum?” Narcissa shouted, clapping her hands together with glee.

 

The two Blacks all turned and gave each other a confused look (while mentally blaming Lucius for Narcissa’s display of mental instability).

 

Lucius gulped, bending down to speak to his son.

 

“Will you repeat that Draco? Say your word one more time,” he whispered, poking Draco’s nose.

 

“Bloody hell, I think I’ll be leaving—“ Severus muttered quietly.

 

He quickly glided towards the fireplace, black robes billowing slightly around him. As he grabbed a handful of floo powder the terror set in.

 

Loudly, much louder than Severus anticipated, Draco shouted his first word.

 

“Sebewus! _Sebewus!_ ” he shouted, pointing one tiny hand at his godfather.

 

“No!” Narcissa yelled in agony, dropping to her knees dramatically.

 

“He’s saying Severus!” Druella shouted, glaring at Lucius.

 

(Because this was clearly all his fault.)

 

“Definitely going!” Severus shouted nervously.

 

Severus Snape glared at his godson, but inside he felt his heart beat in his chest a happier tune than it had in a very long time. As he flooed from the Malfoy Manor, the shouts of ‘Sebewus’ filled his head making him walk just a little lighter that day.

 

It was a shame, he knew, that the poor child was going to turn into an awful annoying brat just like the rest of them.

 


End file.
